For years, parenting research has centered on the important influence of parenting styles (you know, authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, etc.) in effective child rearing. Now a new study suggests there's another big influence on raising kids. The "Culture of American Families" study, from the University of Virginia's Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, suggests that family culture—the complex story of parents' habits, hopes, fears and expectations—may actually have a greater effect over the next generation than just parenting style. The thought is that family culture strongly shapes future political and world views.

In an effort to examine this influence, researchers surveyed a national sample of 3,000 parents of school-aged children to identify four powerful types of family culture existing in America:

• The Faithful (20 percent of parents)—For this type, morality is everything, and it must come from a divine, outside source, such as the Christian, Jewish or Muslim tradition. Human nature is viewed as “basically sinful.” To protect their tradition from the influence of the larger society’s moral decline, the Faithful place importance on instilling faith in their children—whether though daily talks, prayer or weekly church attendance. Many of these families live in the South. 
• Engaged Progressives (21 percent of parents)—These parents emphasize personal freedom. Morality stems from the way one takes responsibility for his/her choices. Children are allowed freedom at younger ages, the parental goal being to teach their kids to be responsible choosers. They value honesty and are optimistic about the future. They are also politically liberal and religiously tolerant, but they're the least religious of all family types. They are found mostly on the West Coast or in the Northeast.
• The Detached (19 percent of parents)—This type spends less than two hours a day interacting with their children. They believe they are no match for the outside influences affecting their kids, so they don't try to be more attentive. These parents are typically white, with blue-collar jobs, no college degree and lower household income. They lack the religious certainty of the Faithful and the optimism of the Engaged Progressives.
• American Dreamers (27 percent of parents)—Parents in this category are optimistic about their children’s abilities and opportunities. They have relative low household education and income, but they work diligently to provide their kids with material and social advantages. They also try to protect their kids from negative social influences. A quarter of American Dreamers are African American and Hispanic American. 

What’s your family culture like? Is it the same as or different from when you were growing up? Share your stories in the comments below!